Further to the request in Security
Council resolution 2059 (2012), paragraph 4, I wish to update the Council on
the implementation of the resolution and the situation in Syria since the 2
August 2012 briefing by Hervé Ladsous, Under‑Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
Operations. I also wish to set forth in the present letter my observations on
the future work of the United Nations inSyria.

The cessation of the use of heavy
weapons and a reduction in violence by all sides sufficient to allow the United
Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) to implement its mandate, as set
out in resolution 2059 (2012), have not been achieved. Temporary, localized
reductions in the use of heavy weapons and the level of violence have occurred,
and prospects for limited humanitarian pauses have increased inHoms.
In other areas however, particularly inAleppo,
the conflict has intensified. Armed opposition elements have launched
offensives inDamascusandAleppo,
while Government forces have continued to use heavy weapons. Consequently, theMission has not been
able to exercise its key functions of monitoring the cessation of violence.

As fighting in and around urban
centres increases, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating. The number of
internally displaced persons is estimated to be well over 1 million people.
Over 130,000 Syrians have sought refuge across international borders. Such
levels of internal and international displacement, against a backdrop of
destruction of civilian infrastructure and residences in areas of origin, pose
significant problems for many communities acrossSyria.
Gross human rights violations continue to take place inSyria,
including the use of heavy weaponry against the civilian population, abduction
and arbitrary detention, the shooting of civilians by snipers, extrajudicial
executions and denial of medical protection to wounded civilians.

Various groups of the Syrian political
and armed opposition have now put forward positions and visions for a
transition inSyria.
The Syrian Minister of National Reconciliation has also attempted to begin a
process on behalf of the Government. Those initiatives do not represent
fundamental changes in the political dynamics of the crisis. For its part, the
Government is convinced that it will be able to succeed militarily against the
opposition in such key areas asAleppo.
The Government refuses to engage in any political dialogue or move forward with
the promised implementation of the six-point plan until the opposition lays
down arms. At the same time, the opposition remains equally convinced that its
military efforts will succeed in toppling the regime and refuses to accept the
Government preconditions for dialogue.

I am convinced that the Syrian people
must find a Syrian-led alternative to the use of force, and a path to the
negotiating table that is unanimously supported by the international community.
That alternative should aim to achieve a democratic, pluralistic political
system, with equal rights for all. The resolutions of this Council which
endorsed the six-point plan, together with the 30 June 2012 communiqué of the
Action Group on Syria (A/66/865-S/2012/522), chart the way forward and have
guided the efforts of Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan to facilitate a political
settlement.

I would like to take this opportunity
to express my deep appreciation to Mr. Annan, who embarked on his
challenging assignment with courage and determination, and sought to unite the
world around key principles for ending the suffering in Syria and charting a
way towards a Syria which meets the aspirations of its people and that
preserves its institutions, unity and territorial integrity. The important work
he has undertaken must continue. In the light of Mr. Annan’s decision to step
down at the end of August, I am consulting intensively with the Secretary
General of the League of Arab States with a view to appointing a successor to
Mr. Annan as soon as possible.

The resolutions of the Security
Council, together with those of the General Assembly, continue to provide the
basis for the efforts of the Joint Special Envoy to focus on a political
transition, while also working towards the achievement of a cessation of
violence inSyria.
As the Council remains seized of the crisis, I would like to underscore the
fact that the Envoy’s mission to facilitate an end to the violence and a
meaningful political transition cannot succeed without united and cohesive
international support. The fulfilment of the mandate of the Joint Special Envoy
will continue to require support for a transition process, consistent with theGenevacommuniqué, from a United
Nations presence on the ground inSyria,
including of the Office of the Joint Special Envoy forSyria.

During its short tenure, UNSMIS has
played a critical role in establishing significant relationships with members
of both the Government and the opposition. It has cultivated networks and
contacts, maintained strong liaison and coordination with military, political
and community groups and United Nations partners at the local level. UNSMIS
succeeded in opening channels of communication and cooperation with a range of
key interlocutors at the national level. Within the constraints, UNSMIS
military observers have played an equally vital role in seizing openings for
confidence-building and dialogue facilitation, as well as fact-finding and
verification as events unfold. TheMissionallows me to
objectively assess developments on the ground and keep the Council duly
informed.

These activities must fit within the
framework of an overall political solution pursued by the Syrians themselves.
This requires ensuring that the United Nations is ready to take every
opportunity to engage on the political track, effectively and immediately.
Communication with stakeholders on the ground must be the centrepiece of our
approach, and we must ensure that the Organization has the tools and structures
in place to facilitate and support any positive progress made by the parties.

Without an appropriate United Nations
presence to play a facilitating role, the ability to directly access, support
and facilitate engagement with and between key stakeholders, and to verify and
report opportunities and evolving conditions for dialogue will be severely
limited. At the same time, regional outreach and engagement remain critical,
given the initiatives of the Joint Special Envoy.

In this regard, a continued United
Nations presence in Syria that goes beyond our important humanitarian work
would allow systematic and meaningful engagement with the Syrian stakeholders,
inside the country, to seek their views on and participation in building a
peaceful future for their people, as envisaged in the decisions of the Security
Council and the General Assembly, and further to the frameworks of the
six-point plan and the 30 June 2012 communiqué of the Action Group.
Furthermore, a flexible United Nations presence inSyriawould
provide the United Nations with an impartial means of assessing the situation
on the ground, which would thus permit it to address the situation more
effectively.

Let me underscore that, within the
constraints imposed by the conditions on the ground, the United Nations Country
Team will continue its important work of helping to alleviate the suffering of
the Syrian people. The United Nations humanitarian agencies will remain active,
even if the mandate of UNSMIS expires. But, beyond this, I think it is
imperative for the United Nations to have a presence inSyriathat
can work in other areas to support me in utilizing my good offices, in
particular, to support the work of the Joint Special Envoy in mediating and
facilitating a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The United Nations cannot
discontinue its support and assistance to the Syrian people in helping to find
an end to this crisis. Rather, we must adapt to the situation while pursuing
our efforts. I intend therefore to work in the immediate future towards
establishing an effective and flexible United Nations presence inSyria that
will support our efforts with the parties to end hostilities and, where
possible and agreed, to support the Syrians in taking the steps they identify
towards a negotiated and inclusive political settlement.

Preventing the worst possible outcome
and reducing and containing the repercussions of the conflict are a priority,
while we also work to help the parties resolve the crisis. One of the greatest
risks is a descent into a full-scale civil war. United Nations engagement with
all sectors of society, with a view to developing channels of communication
across communal divides and building possible areas of consensus is essential
if ways are to be found to protect communities from the worst effects of a
civil war. This should be considered one of the most urgent priorities of the
United Nations, whether through the Office of the Joint Special Envoy, through
UNSMIS or through other instruments of the United Nations system.

It is our responsibility to do all we
can to stop the violence among the Syrian people and to assist them in
resolving their differences and building a future that meets their legitimate
aspirations. While we mobilize the United Nations system to support the people
ofSyria,
we must remind the parties, and above all the Government, that they have the
primary responsibility for resolving the crisis which is currently devastating
their country.

I am extremely concerned at the
continuing militarization of the conflict inSyria,
which has grave humanitarian consequences. I appeal to outside parties, and
especially the regional countries, and emphasize their responsibility to do all
they can to end this situation. I call on the Security Council to spare no
effort in search of common ground, in order to help the Syrian people end the
violence and start charting a way towards an inclusive, peaceful and democratic
future. I once again urge the Government of Syria and the armed opposition to
cease military activities, protect civilians, and abide by their obligations
under international human rights and humanitarian law.

I should be grateful if you would
bring this letter to the attention of the members of the Security Council.